One Big, Happy Family
by angelkittysmith
Summary: When I move into an apartment in downtown Pittsburgh on my own for the very first time, I run into my old friends from childhood, Sarah, James, and Henri, and we end up sharing an apartment room together. However, James always plans out certain events on weekends and holidays without letting the rest of us decide, where it gets to the point of him being bossy and strict.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Move-In Day 

My name is Angel Krzton. I am now 22 years old, and I was born on April 1, 1994. I formerly went to Edinboro University. It is June 2016, and I just graduated from Edinboro University last month. This was it! I have officially found a new job at the Children's Institute of Pittsburgh, working with autistic kids. "I am gonna miss you guys so much," I then told my mom. I cried even harder when I said good-bye to my dad and stepmom, because they have been taking care of me for years. "Aaaaw, we will miss you too, Angel," Mom then said back to me. "You can always call me or your dad if you need help with anything. Remember, there are lots of nice, young adults who can help you if you need help with anything. It's just that you are getting to be a big girl now, Angel, and it almost seems like you don't need our help anymore." We then gave each other another nice hug and kissed each other on the cheek. I gave Mom the sad lip, and she gave me the sad lip back. "Bye, Mom," I told my mom. "Bye, honey," she replied back. "I love you." Mom then left and I looked at the picture of me, her, and my older sister, Alisha. It was like I was no longer a cute, little kid or young teenager anymore. My mom doesn't live very far away from my new apartment, which is only in Highland Park, also in Pittsburgh. I then got onto my computer and played around for a little bit. Then, I got bored. So, I went down to the lobby and found myself to a very neat surprise!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Some Special Childhood Friends

Three of my best childhood friends- Sarah Phillips, age 26, James Hiller, age 28, and Henri LeFevre, age 22 (same age as I am) were standing at the apartment lobby. "Hi, guys!" I then greeted my old friends. "Hi, Angel!" Sarah then greeted me. "We haven't seen you in forever," James then told me. "What's up?" Henri asked. "I live in a new apartment," I said to my friends. "We live in this apartment, too," James stated. "Would you guys like to move in with me? I feel very lonely." "Absolutely, Angel," Sarah replied. "We've missed you." "I've missed seeing you guys just as much." "Can we take a walk around downtown Pittsburgh together before we go back up to my room?" "Actually, we are all just getting back from work," James told me. "Where do you guys all work?" "We work at the Children's Institute of Pittsburgh," Sarah told me. "That's absolutely perfect!" I exclaimed. "I am just beginning to start work there, too. Hey, come on, guys! My new room is on the second floor, and it is room 101. Do you think you guys can remember that?" "I think so, Angel," Henri replied. "Hey, James, is it okay if Sarah and I share a room together?" I asked. "I could sleep on the fold-out sofa bed, while Sarah could sleep in a single bed, and you and Henri can share the bunk beds in the other room!" "Okay then, Angel," James agreed. "If that's what you want, then that's what we'll do!" "All rightie then!" I cheered and then turned to Sarah. "I have missed coming to you for girl problems and fashion advice all these years. No other girl can take your place." "Now, I'll be able to help you out every day since we will be living together," Sarah then told me.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: First Day of Work

My alarm clock rung, and I got up and dressed for work. My roommate, Sarah then got up with me. I tossed on my burgundy dress and flat sandals and did my hair and make-up perfectly. "Sarah, I remember you had 3 nice pairs of earrings during your middle school and high school days," I remarked. "Your silver hoops, your red and purple pearls, and your raindrops." "You're right, Angel," Sarah remarked. "As a matter of fact, would you like to borrow my silver hoop earrings sometime to wear?" "That's okay, Sarah," I replied. "I already have a pair of that kind that I bought myself. Actually, they look just like yours. Want to see them?" "Sure," Sarah replied. I then pulled my earrings out of my dresser and put them on for Sarah to see. "Oh, those are so pretty, Angel." "Thanks." We then went down to the lobby with our other 2 male roommates, James and Henri. They shared bunk beds in the other bedroom. Luckily, they served breakfast at the Children of Institute, so we did not have to worry about getting anything to eat. My employer, Cynthia made me oatmeal and sent me to work wheeling autistic children to and from meals and classes. "Hey, Cynthia, I like this job very much," I told my employer. "I'm glad that you do, Angel," Cynthia replied. "As a matter of fact, I have 3 special friends who work with me and who I live in an apartment with, but I've only known them since I was 8 years old. We used to hang out together all the time as kids, but then we grew up and I ended up making some new friends. Would you like to meet them when they come to see me? They also have a surprise for me tonight." "Absolutely, Angel," Cynthia remarked. 


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Tickets to PNC Park

I then found my 3 friends after work. James was then holding a special surprise in his hands. "What do you have there, James?" I asked. "When I had a break from work today, I purchased tickets for all of us to go to the Pirates vs. Dodgers baseball game tonight at PNC Park." He then handed out tickets to us. "One for you, one for me, one for Sarah, and one for Henri!" "Wow, what made you want to purchase tickets to a baseball game like this, James?" I then asked. "The most famous baseball team of all, the Los Angeles Dodgers, are playing tonight, Angel," James then told me. "Who are the Los Angeles Dodgers, and what are they famous for?" I asked. "They are a very famous baseball team, and they travel all over the globe, Angel," Sarah then explained to me. "I like you, Sarah, because you seem like a very smart young woman," I then remarked. "Even as a young teenager, you were always very admirable and smart, except for the one time you were accused for cheating on a history exam because a guy in your class named Nathan was constantly looking off your paper. I was like that too, when I was in the 8th grade." I then turned to Henri. "And you, Henri, are you still being a good boy?" "What are you talking about, Angel?" Henri had no idea what I was talking about. "You know, just being a weird guy, often pulling pranks on your brother and sister," I explained. "That was only because I was the same age as you were!" "I know, and we were both 8 years old at the time," he then remembered. "Come on, guys!" James then stated. "Let's all go home and get ready to go to the game!"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Take Me Out to the Ball Game

After work, Sarah, James, Henri, and I took a bus to the Pirates vs. Dodgers game at PNC Park. It's funny because the very first time I went to a Pirates game was when I was in 3rd grade, just like Henri. Ever since then, I have been going to baseball games with my family. However, it's more fun to go with kids your own age who you have missed seeing for years. The truth is, I am not really a baseball fan. I mainly go for the food, which is what started a heated argument with my friends. "Why do you have so much food to eat, Angel?" James asked me. "Why does it matter, James?" I asked him back. "Because we have plans to go out to eat after the game," James then explained. "Look at what everyone else has to eat!" Sarah ordered a soft pretzel with mustard, James ordered a bucket of unbuttered popcorn, and Henri ordered a plate of nachos. I ordered a Sugardale hot dog, French fries, a soft drink, and to make matters worse, a soft-serve vanilla ice cream cone. "I always eat dinner at the stadium. Not that other places' food isn't great, but I always love to eat PNC Park's food!" I exclaimed in a rude tone of voice. "Fine, Angel," James then gave in. "Do whatever you want." James was a nice boy, but sometimes, he was a little bossy and strict, especially when it came to him being in charge of Sarah, Henri, and me. Even worse, the Pittsburgh Pirates lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Talk about spending time with your long-lost friends who you have not seen in ages, this sure was a terrible way to start things off! After the game ended, I walked back to the apartment and went straight to bed.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Practice in Juggling

The morning after the Pirates game was over, my roommate, Sarah woke me up from a deep sleep. I stretched and yawned. "Sarah, do I have to get up today?" I asked in a sleepy tone of voice. "It's Saturday morning. You're supposed to sleep late." "It's 10:00 am, though," Sarah stated. I then got out of bed and dressed. "But, there's nothing to do today," I whined. "It will be so boring." "Let's go eat breakfast and we'll talk about it, later, okay?" Sarah asked. We then walked into the kitchen. Breakfast was scrambled eggs, pork sausage links, and roasted vegetables. "Since when did you guys all become health nuts?" I asked in a dramatic tone of voice. I then tasted my eggs and admitted, "These are actually really good!" "I'm glad you like them, Angel," James stated. "After breakfast, I will teach you guys all how to juggle!" "But, wait a minute, where will we do that?" I asked. "Let's do it in the backyard of the apartment," James suggested. We then went outside to the backyard. It was a warm, but not hot, June morning. "All you do is toss one ball back and forth in your hands, until you get the hang of it, then pick up another ball and toss both in your hands at the same time, and then when you are really ready, practice juggling 3 balls in your hands at the same time!" James explained and even did a demonstration himself. I then took 3 balls and tried, but they all fell to the floor at once. "I'm just not very good at this," I admitted. "I mean, I can toss 1 or 2 balls back and forth in the air, but I can't toss and catch at least 3 or more at the same time!" I then threw my balls to the floor and quit. "I'm sorry, but I just can't!"


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Disc Golf

It happened again the next morning. I was in the middle of a deep sleep, and my roommate, Sarah woke me up. "I don't mean to be rude or anything, Sarah, but why do you keep waking me up when I'm trying to sleep on the weekends?" I then asked. "Because James has some more activities planned for us to do, Angel," Sarah whispered. "That James," I muttered to myself. "Why does he always think he's the boss of everything?" "Well, he's the oldest person in the group, remember?" Sarah asked. "You know, just because you're the oldest doesn't necessarily mean you're in charge all the time," I pointed out. "Yes, it does," Sarah then told me. "I mean, sure James needs to be a little more flexible about stuff, but just keep in mind that he's almost in his 30s." Sarah then paused for a moment. "I'll tell you what, Angel. After breakfast, you can ride with me to Schenley Park. You and I will be on one team, while James and Henri will be on the other." "Great idea, Sarah!" For breakfast, I ate Eggo waffles, a blueberry and strawberry medley, and a glass of skim milk. Then, the four of us went to Schenley Park to play disc golf. "I guess this is a little bit better than juggling, huh?" I asked Sarah. "I'm actually better at throwing a Frisbee than tossing 3 balls in the air at once!" Then came a little problem. On the very last throw, I accidentally threw my Frisbee into the street. "Sarah, help!" I cried out. "I don't want to get hurt!" "Let's wait until the car passes by, and then I will fetch it for you," Sarah suggested. The car then passed and she gave me the Frisbee. "See, Angel? I told you everything was okay." 


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Sick with a Cold

A week later, Sarah, James, Henri, and I had plans to go to the annual Three Rivers Arts Festival. But then, it was raining too hard, so we decided not to go. Even worse was the fact that I woke up with a sore throat, an upset stomach, and a runny nose, and was unable to go to work today. "Angel, are you feeling okay?" my roommate, Sarah asked me. "No, Sarah," I replied back. "I caught a cold and can't go to work today. I am so bored. Do you think you can stay home and take care of me?" "I'll tell you what," Sarah told me. "I'll stay with you in the morning, but then I have to go with James and Henri to work. So, if there's anything you want for breakfast or lunch, just tell me and I will get it for you!" "Well, my mom says it's always good to drink lots of liquid when I'm sick, and eat lots of fruit, because fruit has vitamin C, which usually helps heal cuts and bruises," I explained. "So, can you get me a glass of fruit-flavored water with my blueberries and strawberries I always eat?" "Sure," Sarah replied. I then curled up under my covers, while Sarah made my food. Sleeping on a fold-out sofa felt a lot nicer than sleeping in an actual bed. Maybe because on the weekends at my mom's apartment, I was used to sleeping on the couch. Sarah was back with my food. "Thanks, Sarah," I told her. "You're welcome, Angel," Sarah replied. "I have to go to work now. But, when we come home, the four of us will do something really fun this evening. In the meantime, you stay up here and get some good rest, okay?" Sarah then left our room. "Gee, I wonder what we could be doing tonight that is so fun," I said to myself as I drifted off to sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Board Game Night

When Sarah, James, and Henri came home from work, Sarah then came to our room to wake me up. She then asked me how I was feeling. "I'm feeling better," I then replied. "We're going to play some board games tonight. Want to join us?" Sarah offered. "Of course," I replied. I then stayed in my pajamas, because I didn't see a point in changing clothes. "It's okay, Angel," Sarah told me. "You don't have to change clothes." I then went out to the living room and joined my friends. "First, we're going to play my favorite game, Bananagrams," James announced. "It's sort of like Scrabble, where you make letters of 4 or more words." I tried Bananagrams, making all sorts of neat words in the process. However, the 3rd round I played, I got stuck on a word and immediately got tired of the game. "Would you like to try my personal favorite board game, Angel?" Sarah then asked. "Absolutely, Sarah," I replied. "What is it?" "It's called Apples to Apples," Sarah explained. "It's sort of like Truth or Dare, except with playing cards. Here, I will put down a card, and you, James, and Henri can sort out cards that match." Sarah then put out the card with the word "scary" on it. I then ended up putting down the card with "Rush Limbaugh" on it, James then put down the card "ghosts", and Henri then put down the card "kidney disease". Sarah then acted as the judge. In the end, James ended up winning the game. "Sarah, why don't you think Rush Limbaugh is scary?" I asked. "Haven't you ever seen the man before?" James asked. "I don't think he's all that scary myself, Angel," Sarah then told me. I then went back to bed so I could get up for the Arts Festival tomorrow. 


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: The Three Rivers Arts Festival

The next day, the 4 of us took a bus to the Three Rivers Arts Festival in Pittsburgh. "I've been to the Three Rivers Arts Festival a lot when I was younger with my mom and her friend, Pamela," I told everyone. "That's cool, Angel," James remarked. "What do you like to look at at the Festival?" Sarah asked. "Oh, I don't know, the jewelry, the paintings, the music, and the food," I replied. "We're walking around the festival together as a group, because it is supposed to be really crowded tonight," James decided before warning us. We then walked around and saw all the paintings. "If there's anything you want from here, Angel, let me know and I will buy it for you," Sarah told me. "Are you sure?" I asked. "Because I have my own money to pay for my own things." "It's okay," Sarah said to me. "You can spend the money you have on dinner here, if you like. It's just that most of the jewelry and other stuff here is really expensive." We then walked over to the music stage, where a woman named Roseanne Cash was performing in order to promote her new album. "Wow, Angel, you're really lucky," Henri stated. "I don't think I've ever been to the Arts Festival once in my lifetime." "Okay then," I remarked. "James, have you and Sarah ever been here before?" I asked. "We went here every summer since we both graduated form high school," James then explained. We then stopped by the food booths to get ourselves dinner. I ended up getting ethnic food, which was the potato pancake, pierogi, and halushki platter. "So, are you having a good time here so far, Angel?" James asked me. "I sure am, James," I replied. That was one time he was actually nice to me without being bossy or strict.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: A Hike In Schenley Park

Another work week passed by, and it was Friday, already. James said he had another surprise for us after work was done. Why was James always planning out our evenings and weekends? I thought living on your own meant deciding for yourself what you wanted to do. "Hey James, what's the surprise?" I asked that afternoon. "Well, we are going to go to Schenley Park and take a walk in the woods," he told us. "What do you think of that?" "I think that's good," I agreed. "But, we all need to change clothes first." So then, we changed into comfortable summer clothes and drove off to Schenley Park. "I think it's a little bit too hot for a hike, James," Sarah told him. Sarah was not a fan of extremely hot or cold weather. "I'm just afraid I'll get my good tennis shoes muddy," I told James. Of course, the tennis shoes I wore were black with pink and white stripes across the sides. Most of the scenery looked pretty scary to me. There was a set of stairs that was really steep, and they were very hard to go down. Just when I thought our hike was going good, we run into a huge mud puddle. "Do we have to walk in that?" I asked in a scared tone of voice. Without knowing it, I accidentally stepped into the mud puddle and got my tennis shoes dirty. "Oh no!" I exclaimed. "What's wrong, Angel?" Sarah asked. "My shoes! They're all dirty!" I whined. "I want to wash these shoes up and go home." "But, we didn't even finish our walk yet, Angel," James told me. "I'm sorry, it's just that we're all hot and tired," Sarah then told him. At least, Sarah was able to agree with and stand up for me. We then drove back to the apartment.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Return to Schenley Park

It was an early July afternoon, and there was a festival going on in Schenley Park. Sarah, James, Henri, and I had plans to go there. "James, I have a question to ask you," I then said to him. "What is that, Angel?" James asked. "Why do you always have to be the boss of us?" "Because I'm the oldest in the group, and I want to make sure things go okay between the four of us," James explained. "But, that doesn't mean that Sarah, Henri, and I can't do what we like to do, too," I then pointed out to him. "Besides, don't you want some ice cream?" he then asked. "Of course, James," I replied. "I love ice cream. I would like a vanilla ice cream cone with rainbow sprinkles." We then went up to the stand and ordered our ice cream cones. I got my vanilla ice cream cone with rainbow sprinkles to eat. Sarah ordered a strawberry ice cream cone. James and Henri both ordered chocolate and coffee nut ice cream cones. "After we eat, I want to go ride on the carousel," I then told everyone. "But, we all don't want to ride the carousel, Angel," James told me, "and we're sticking together as a group." I then wandered over to the carousel, anyway. "Angel, where are you going?" James asked dramatically. "Angel, come back!" Sarah called out. "I don't want to live with you guys anymore if you don't want to do what I want to do, sometimes," I then told them angrily. "I'm calling my mom and having her come pick me up." I then got out my cell phone and called my mom, and she said she would be right on her way. When I saw Mom's car outside the main entrance, I sadly turned around and waved good-bye to my friends.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Saturday at Mom's Apartment

I was then back at my mom's apartment in Highland Park. "Hi, sweetie," Mom greeted. "I thought you were living in your new apartment in Pittsburgh." "Not anymore, Mom," I told her. "Why not, Angel?" she then asked me. "Well, I have some friends staying in my apartment who don't always like to do what I want to do, and I thought since I moved back in here with you, I could be the boss of myself." "What are you talking about? If you still lived with me, then you would still have to live under my rules," Mom pointed out. "Mom, you remember 3 of my old friends, Sarah, James, and Henri from childhood, right?" I then asked. "Uh-huh, and what about them?" Mom asked. "Well, they moved into my room with me, and I thought I would like living with them at first, but.." "But what, Angel?" "Well, it's not all peaches and cream, Mom," I informed. "James thinks that he's always the boss of everything, just because he's the oldest member of the group." "Well, if they're your good friends, Angel, then maybe I suggest you move back in with them." "I don't know, Mom," I then replied in a doubtful tone of voice. Just then, my cell phone rang. It was from Sarah. I then picked up and answered. "Hi, Sarah!" I then replied. I then listened as she told me that the 3 of them had a special surprise for me and that they missed me very much. Mom then asked, "Who was that?" "That was Sarah, Mom," I told her. "She, James, and Henri have a special surprise for me, if I promise to move back in with them. But, is it okay if I stay with you tonight?" "Sure, Angel," Mom replied. "I've missed you so much."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: A Day at Kennywood

The surprise that Sarah, James, and Henri had planned for me that Sunday afternoon was a trip to Kennywood, of course! The only trouble was, it was really hot- up to 92 degrees outside! Like I mentioned before, Sarah did not like hot summer weather at all, and Henri did not like to ride roller coasters. So, Sarah and Henri ended up hanging out at the amusement park together by themselves, while James and I rode all the rides. "This was a great surprise, James," I remarked. "Thank you!" "You're welcome, Angel," James replied. "I promise, I won't be so bossy anymore, now that it's just you and me riding everything together!" "It's good that you and I are there for each other, James," I told him. "You were just trying to make sure nothing bad happened to Sarah, Henri, and me." "That's right," James remarked. "I was." "I remember when it was picture day at your high school, and you faked sick and thought you were going crazy. I was there to support you because I thought you were a little bit nervous about getting your picture taken." "Yes, you were a big help to me that day, Angel," James then remembered. "It's nice when it's just the 2 of us," I informed James. "We're riding everything by ourselves because Sarah doesn't like the extremely hot weather, and Henri doesn't like roller coasters." James and I then rode all the roller coasters, the Skyrocket, the Jack Rabbit, the Racer, the Phantom's Revenge, and the Thunderbolt, as well as other rides. Then, we ate lunch at Johnny Rockets together, and met Sarah and Henri there. Sarah and Henri spent most of the day playing arcade games and looking in the souvenir shops, while James and I rode all the rides.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Celebrating Independence Day

The next day was obviously 4th of July, and temperatures were still hot! The temperature hit 94 degrees that afternoon. Sarah did not like it at all. She said it reminded her of Pittsburgh heat waves when we were kids. "What exactly do you mean, Sarah?" I asked her. "When I was 13 back in July of 2003, we had one of our longest heat waves that I can remember, and I was wondering when it would ever end," Sarah explained to me. "Wow, I can hardly remember because that was so long ago," I remarked. "The worst heat wave of all was in late May one year, when it hit 90 degrees for the first time, just like this year," Sarah narrated. "I swear that 2016 is becoming our warmest year on record! I don't know if this is global warming, or what!" "I don't know, either, Sarah," I then agreed. "Let's just enjoy 4th of July and not worry about the weather so much," I then advised. "James is cooking hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill, and then we are going to watch the Pittsburgh fireworks from our backyard! Doesn't that sound like fun?" Sarah then sighed. "I guess so," she then replied. "The trouble is that they are also calling for rain tonight!" We then went outside to enjoy the 4th of July festivities. But first, we lathered up and put on sunscreen before joining our male friends outside for the cookout. Dinner was hamburgers, hot dogs, baked beans, coleslaw, macaroni salad, and potato salad. I, of course, didn't care for any of the side dishes, so I ate both a hamburger and a hot dog. After dinner, we stayed outside in the backyard and watched fireworks light up the beautiful Pittsburgh sky.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Trivia Night

At the end of the week, we had 8 of our special friends come over for Trivia Night at our apartment. The first category was Science. My partners were, of course, Nathan, the guy who was accused for cheating off Sarah's history exam back when Sarah was in 8th grade and Molly, the girl whose Sweet 16 party Sarah and I snuck out into as kids. Our first category was Movies, a category I seemed to know a lot about. "In the 2004 film _National Treasure_, what famous document was discovered: the Declaration of Independence, the Emancipation Pact, the Bill of Rights, or the Treaty of Paris." "I happened to love that movie as a kid," I declared. "Is it the Declaration of Independence?" Apparently, my team won the first round. The next category was Science and Astronomy, a category I also knew a lot about. "What is the newest and smallest planet in our solar system: Neptune, Venus, Jupiter, or Pluto." "Definitely Pluto," I replied confidently. Of course, my team won. On Sarah's team were 2 of her boyfriends from her graduating class named Benedict and John Paul. On James's team were 2 of his friends who were a year younger than him, Benjamin and Sybil. On Henri's team were 2 of his friends from his graduating class, Charles and John Quincy. As a matter of fact, I remember the time when Henri and I were in the same 5th grade class, and Sarah and James served as our student teachers, since they were both in high school at the time. Anyway, since my team won, I picked out a gigantic book of word search puzzles, since I have always loved to do those ever since I was a kid.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17: Back to Work

When I returned back to work the next week, my boss, Cynthia had more work for me to do. "I would like you to make a speech to a 10-year-old girl named Kristina Plowman," Cynthia instructed. "She has autism, and does not know what it feels like." "Okay, Cynthia," I agreed. "I will do that." I then went to a room straight across the hall, right where Kristina was sitting. "Hi, Kristina," I greeted. "My name is Angel Krzton. I understand that you have autism, and probably do not know what it feels like. Well, I will tell you what it is like to have autism." I then cleared my throat and begun. "Autism helps you see the world differently than most other people do," I explained, "such as the fact that you may need help getting to places on time, or studying a different way, or even eating your meals a different way." I then checked my watch. "Speaking of which, it is almost lunchtime for you. I can help wheel you to the cafeteria if you want." I then grabbed Kristina's wheelchair and then wheeled her carefully to the lunchroom. Afterwards, I returned to talk to Cynthia, and as a surprise, I saw Sarah, James, and Henri in the same room. "Hi, guys," I greeted. "I heard you gave a great speech to a little girl today," Sarah mentioned. "I sure did, Sarah," I remarked. "And, I'm quite proud of it, too." "As a reward for all your hard work, Angel," James decided, "I will let either you, Sarah, or Henri decide what we will do this weekend." James then paused. "I promise not to be the boss of everything anymore!" "Oh, thank you, James," I thanked him. "My day couldn't get any better than this!"


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18: Looking at Comic Books

Surprisingly, Henri decided to go to the comic book store on Carnegie Avenue in Oakland. I hate to say it, but I was never a fan of most comic books. "So, you have never been to this comic book store before, Angel?" Henri asked me. "Sarah and James took me here a lot when we first moved here." "I might have when I was younger, Henri," I told him. "I probably just don't remember it." "Oh, you can remember everything, Angel," Sarah remarked. "Do you remember what day I was born on, Angel?" James asked. "No, James," I replied. "I can only remember as far as 1994 when Henri and I were both born. But, I remember that you were born on June 15, 1988 and Sarah was born on November 30, 1989." "That's okay, Angel," Sarah remarked. "I was born on a Friday and Henri was born on a Thursday," I stated. "Now, let's look at all the comic books in the store, shall we?" I went over and found an amazing series of comic books with Archie, Betty, and Veronica. "I have always been a fan of the Archie comic book series, to be honest," I told my friends. "I also love anime books, like Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh, which are also both classics." "Well, you can look around and read anything you want, Angel," Sarah reminded me. "Yeah, I won't exactly tell you what to read anymore," James pointed out. "I kind of find Jughead the most interesting character for some odd reason," I informed everyone. "Why is that, Angel?" James asked. "Because he reminds me a bit of you, James," I stated. "Caring and responsible, but definitely not bossy and strict." "Wow, it looks like you do love that comic book series, Angel!" James then remarked.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19: Frozen Yogurt and Another Surprise

Sarah and I both decided to go to Razzle's to get frozen yogurt. Now, this store wasn't just any frozen yogurt store- it was one where you grabbed a favorite flavor of frozen yogurt and picked your own toppings. It was something I used to do with my mom a lot. I got a bowl and dispensed vanilla frozen yogurt to eat. Then, I scooped Oreo cookie pieces, rainbow sprinkles, and some of my favorite fruits- blueberries, strawberries, pineapple slices, and grapes- on top. "Wow, Angel, that's a lot of toppings you have there," Sarah remarked. "What's wrong with that, Sarah?'' I asked. "They're all my favorite toppings." "I'm not saying you can't have them, Angel," Sarah told me. "It's just that I always prefer simple toppings on my frozen yogurt, like nuts and berries- nothing real sweet, because that's how it gets junky!" "At least, you're a little bit better than my mom is, Sarah," I told her. "She thinks I take a lot of toppings, but you don't find anything wrong with it like she does." Speaking of which, guess who I ran into when we sat down to eat our bowls of yogurt? My mom and her best friend, Pamela! "Hi, Mom!" I greeted her. "Hi, sweetie," Mom greeted back. "Mom, these are my old childhood friends I told you about: Sarah, James, and Henri," I told my mom. "Hi, guys!" Mom greeted everyone. "These guys live with me, and we do stuff together every weekend, and let me tell you, I'm sure it's nice that you don't have to deal with taking me places anymore on weekends." The only problem was, James was a bit too bossy at first, sort of like how I used to be with Mom. Now, Sarah, James, Henri, and I are living together and hanging out like one big, happy family. The End


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20: Christmas in Pittsburgh

It was late 2016, and we finally got some snow on the ground, after a warm start, similar to what my friends remember happening in Decembers of 2002 and 2005 when we were all friends. Anyway, we were planning a Christmas party and serving snacks to all of our friends. "I am so glad I could spend Christmas with you guys once again," I told everyone. "The Christmas holidays in the past just have NOT been the same without you guys!" "Well, we're glad you appreciate us more, Angel," Sarah told me. "Can we also play Apples to Apples at the party?" I then asked. "What, you don't want to play Bananagrams with me, Angel?" James then asked me. "I thought you always liked to play that game." "I know, James, but Apples to Apples is a bit more hilarious," I informed him. "Don't you think so, Sarah?" "If that's the game you want to play, Angel, then we will play it," Sarah then agreed with me. "But first, we will have refreshments. Are you hungry?" "I'm not sure. What are we having?" On the snack table, there were hoagies, macaroni and cheese, vegetable sticks, potato chips, pretzels, sodas, and of course, Christmas cake and cookies. I took a little bit of food, and then sat down with my peers to eat. After refreshments, we played Apples to Apples. Hopefully, I would have better luck now than I did last summer. James went first as the judge. He put down the card "glamorous." I put down the card "Paris Hilton," Sarah put down "Niagara Falls," and Henri put down "crystal lights." Luckily, my cards got picked most of the time, so I ended up winning the game. "Merry Christmas, everyone," I wished my friends.


End file.
